Robert Atkins dies at 72

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Published on April 17, 2023 8:09:26 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s5e6WAWwr4

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Atkins, a cardiologist, began promoting his low carb, high fat weight loss plan at a time when most doctors and the government were trying to reduce fat consumption because it seemed to be causing heart disease

Other opponents included those that stood to lose financially if his diet became too popular…like…rival diet plans and the sugar industry.

And there were even a number of environmentalists, animal rights activists and vegetarians who hated him for pushing for even more meat consumption.

So when he died after 10 days in a coma brought on by a fall, there was intense interest in his autopsy and unsurprisingly his medical records were leaked.

The leak revealed serious heart problems and that he weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death which made Atkins, the weight loss expert, clinically obese.

It seemed like his detractors had finally been vindicated

But in the months that followed the doctors treating him came forward and said that he had gained 60 pounds due to fluid build up while in a coma and his heart conditions were caused by a viral infection.

To some his legacy was restored, for others it smacked of a coverup or at least damage control.

20 years later, Atkins, his diet and his death remain controversial.